Back in 1996 Oprah began a holiday tradition with her infamous Favourite Things list. This year, we thought if would be great if the staff at Avivagen shared with you some of our favourite things – with a pet twist, of course!

Let me begin by saying that Avivagen Animal Health does not endorse any of these products nor are we being reimbursed by any of the companies. These are strictly our opinions that we are sharing with you about some of the great pet products that we have encountered in the animal health industry.

FURMINATOR

Unless you’re fortunate enough to own a non-shedding breed, you should have a Furminator on hand at all times. True, it’s likely one of the most expensive pet brushes on the market but, I assure you, it is worth every single penny. You will be astounded by the amount of undercoat this little brush can get out. And if it never gets a chance to fall off your dog or cat then you’ll never have to see it stuck to your pant leg or glued to your sofa cushion!

PUREBITES TREATS

If you haven’t heard about these treats yet you’re going to want to run out and grab yourself a bag or two. Consisting of only a single ingredient, Purebites are super palatable dehydrated treats that can be broken down into several small pieces making them great to use as a training aid. With flavours such as Duck, Beef Liver, Cheddar Cheese, Ocean Whitefish, Shrimp (cats) and Trail Mix you’re bound to find a flavour even the finickiest eater will love.

At first I thought the branding “The World’s Best Cat Litter” was a little over the top but after using it for the last 9 months I can vouch for the fact, that in my opinion, this is “The World’s Best Cat Litter”. This litter is eco-friendly as it isn’t made from mined, drilled, or artificially made ingredients. It’s milled from renewable whole-kernel corn which also means it has a naturally microporous structure that keeps nasty odors and smells inside the litter. It is made from all-natural ingredients, with no added chemicals, making it very safe for cats. Unlike clay litters, there’s no silica dust for you or your cat to breathe and no residue for your cat to lick off their paws and ingest which is something that always concerned me with Ollie’s previous litter. It is cost effective as the quick clumping action keeps the rest of the litter dry. Oliver is an only child so one 7-lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter lasts him for around a month. It comes in three formulas depending on your household’s needs; Clumping Formula (Green Bag – good for families with one to two cats), Multiple Cat Clumping Formula (Red Bag – ideal for homes with two or more cats), Scented Multiple Cat Clumping Formula (Purple Bag – scented with lavender oil). I buy my litter from my local pet store and costs me around $11 per month.

This is by far the best and coolest litter box I’ve ever seen. I have personally been using one for almost 8 years now and I can’t imagine using anything else. From the outside, this nifty contraption looks like your regular, run-of-the-mill hooded litterbox. But take off the top and you’ll notice a funky little grate stuck in the middle separating the box into two separate compartments. When you want to clean the litter box you just turn it upside down and all the clean litter flows through the grate and into a little holding area. Meanwhile, all the clumps of litter get deposited into a clever long cup that you can just pull out and dump into the garbage/green bin. When you turn the box upright again all that clean litter comes flowing back out of their holding area and into the bottom of the box ready for another use. No more sifting through kitty poop; no more holding your breath for sixty seconds at a time while you clean the litterbox. Just flip the box and dump the cup and you’re done! With 6 cats in the house I can’t begin to tell you just how much time this litterbox has saved me. I can literally clean the litter box in under 10 seconds!

This toy was actually suggested to us from Jana Rade (of Dawgbusiness) whose dog Jasmine reportedly loves the Flying Squirrel. Though I don’t have one myself, I have to admit that it does look pretty awesome and am considering adding it to the growing collection of holiday gifts my critters will get this Christmas.

KONG

Ah, where would we be without our trusty Kongs? These tough toys are not only sturdy but also an excellent way to keep your pet occupied while you’re busy. Just stuff them with any type of delicious treat that your dog digs and you’re good to go! From peanut butter to cheese to cookies, there is no limit to what you can stuff in a Kong. Bonus: if you have a teething puppy or kitten Kongs are the perfect solution. They can gnaw away to their hearts content thus keeping your shoes and rugs safe from little teeth marks.

I bought my cat, Oliver, a Kong Kickeroo about 6 months ago and it has provided endless hours of entertainment not only to Oliver but also to myself and my husband. The Kong Kickeroo is a rectangular shaped soft toy with a long fluffy tail. It is designed to appeal to cat’s instinctive desire to stalk and capture prey and this is exactly what Oliver does! Oliver has also taken to “catching” the Kickeroo and dropping it at my feet very proudly and then demanding a treat! Cats will typically attack, wrestle, snuggle and kick the Kickeroo with their hindpaws. The Kickeroo comes in a number of different patterns – we have the tiger stripe for Ollie but I believe Santa is bringing a new giraffe pattern Kickeroo for Christmas. To further entice cats, Kong has added a generous amount of potent North American Catnip to the Kickeroo. If you search YouTube for Kickeroos you will find countless home videos of cats enjoying their Kickeroos. Kickeroos are very reasonably priced at around $8 and your cat will love you for it!

INTERACTIVE POOCH PUZZLES

There has been a new trend in the canine world: toys that are interactive and encourage the development of motor skills while reducing the chance of boredom related behaviour. These puzzle toys are great and help keep your dog’s brain moving even when you’re out running an errand. With so many great ones to choose from we couldn’t narrow it down to a specific brand!(*Omega paw Tricky Treat Ball shown above)

NEWTRIX DOG HALTER

Unlike most halters that hook under a dog’s chin and twist the neck, the Newtrix halter exerts a gentle pressure on the back of the head which instinctively causes your dog to lean back into the pressure and stop pulling. This halter is great for dogs of all sizes and, once you get the hang of it, is pretty easy to put on.

If your cat is anything like mine, he/she will walk right past the warm, fluffy cat bed you bought them in favour of curling up in a simple cardboard box. That’s the theory behind the Scratch’n Massage cat bed which combines the simplicity of a box with the style of a cat bed. This unique product features a nifty cardboard, ripple surface and is treated with organic catnip oil. A decorative pattern covering the surface adds some designer flair as well. My cats absolutely love this bed and I’ve even walked in to find Stewie (our sheltie) somehow curled up in the cat-sized sleeping space!